The overall objectives of the total project are to: 1) elucidate the role of the oral fluids in the formation of the dental deposits involved in the initiation of periodontal disease, 2) clarify the relationship between composition and properties of the oral fluids and individual variation in amount of deposit, 3) examine the pathways of antigen penetration from these deposits through the gingival tissues. Basic approach will be to study the deposits (supra and subgingival plaque and calculus) and the fluids (paratid and submaxillary saliva and gingival fluid) on a comparative basis, in those situations in which marked differences might be anticipated. In addition, antigen penetration of gingival tissues will be investigated using fluorescent anti-sera to endotoxin.